Children are expensive. Parents may spend more than $200,000 on one child from birth to adulthood. Fortunately, most children are born with two parents who can work together to cover the costs to raise them. When the parents live together, it’s easier to spread out the expenses and still have a comfortable standard of living. However, if the parents separate or get divorced, more responsibility may fall on the custodial parent. A Child Support Lawyer in Frederick may be able to help a parent get the funds necessary to ensure their children have everything they need.
Initial Court Orders
When a couple gets divorced, the court will typically order the noncustodial parent to pay child support to the other parent. The amount they pay will depend on each parent’s current income and expenses. If they have children from other relationships, that may affect the amount of child support as well. Parents can pay the support directly to the court and the state will disburse it to the custodial parent. This ensures the nonresidential parent gets credit for the payments they make. Failure to pay child support could result in penalties such as loss of driving privileges, loss of professional licenses and even time in jail. A parent that needs help getting court-ordered child support for their children can click here to get in touch with an experienced attorney.
Modification of Child Support Orders
Over time, the initial child support order might not be sufficient to meet the needs of growing children. As the kids get older, their parents’ salaries might increase as well and the custodial parent might find themselves paying more than their fair share of the expenses. When this happens, A Child Support Lawyer in Frederick might help a client petition the court to modify the order. The court will use the current formula to recalculate the amount of child support a noncustodial parent should pay. If they earn more, they may be required to pay more. However, if their income has decreased, the order may decrease as well.
Raising children might not be cheap but it can be rewarding. With financial support from both parents, children from divorced families may be able to have all the things they would have had if their parents had stayed together.
